Automatic dam per-regulator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. ,F. MAXIM. AUTOMATIC DAMPER REGULATOR.

No. 513,948. a Patented Jan. 30,1894.-

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(No Mbdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2:, I

H. P. MAXIM. AUTOMATIC DAMPER REGULATOR.

Patented Jan. 30, 18%;1.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

HOSEAFRANK MAXIM, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATIC DAM PER-REGU LATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,948, dated January 30, 18 94.

I Application filed March 14, 1893- Serial No. L| (N0 inodel.)

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOSEA FRANK MAXIM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nor- =folk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Damper-Regulators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the ac companying drawings. I

The object of this invention is to provide an improved automatic damper-regulator for furnaces or other heaters, said regulator being operated through the agency of electricity.

A construction by which the invention may be carried out is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- 1 Figure 1 shows a furnace with my improved regulating mechanism applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail View of the regulator, parts being broken away to show the internal construction. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the thermostat, the face-plate being taken off to show the internal mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the electric cut-out device. Fig. 6 shows in perspective the crank-arm and the armature in engagement therewith, and Fig. 7 isa section on line 7, 7 of Fig. 4:.

In the drawings a furnace of ordinary construction is shown at a, having the hinged dampers a, and o for increasing and decreasing, respectively, the draft. It will be understood that when the lower damper is open, and the upper damper is closed the temperature of the water in the furnace, or of the apartment will be materially higher than when the upper damper a is open and the lower damper a is closed.

The dampers are operated by means of a lever d, pivoted at d in a casing 12 mounted above the furnace, and having its ends connected with the dampers byemeans of chains or cords e, e. The bracketbis of any suitable shape and contains a spring-motor e, such as is commonly used in clocks or other similar mechanisms. In order to get sufficient power I use two springs 0 c and two gear-wheels c 0 both engaging with a pinion c". Upon the axle of the pinion c and rigid therewith is mounted a crank-arm c having two members extending an equal distance on either side of the axis of the pinion c", for a purpose to be described. The crank-arm carries a crank or pin 0 entering a slot 0 in the lever d. Mounted above the spring-motor and the crank-arm is an electro-magnet f having an armature f, extending across the same and normally held away from it by a flat-spring fiwhich is fastened to it and supports it, said spring being secured to a stationary support f A longitudinal slot f, is provided in the armature f, and one end of the same constistutes a shoulder against which the crankarm c stops, thereby holding the movement 0 at rest. A spring f is fastened in the slot f and is arranged to yield snfficiently to allow the crank arm to pass into the slot and then to drop into engagement with the same after it has passed,thereby preventing its recoil. It will be seen that when the armature is drawn out of engagement with the crank arm, the latter is then free to rotate, vibrating the lever d, in its revolution. In order that little force shall be required to move the lever d, I use an adjustable weight N, where by the lever can be nicely balanced.

A thermostat is suitably arranged, and electrically connected with the electro-magnet as follows: A column g, contains water heated by the furnace, and is closed by a cap g, having a socket g extending down into the wa ten The thermostat case h, has an end h,

which is inserted in the cap 9. The laminae 2' are inserted in the plug 71 and extend to the upper part of the case h, and have attached thereto a triangularly shaped head with rack teeth engaging with a stationarily arranged rack-wheel 2'. The axle of the wheel 6 extends through the case'and has secured to it a pointer or index finger arranged to move over a dial on the outer side of the case. Itwill be seen that as the laminae swing to the right or to the left in accordance with the variations in temperature the pinion is caused to revolve moving the index finger over the dial, so that the variations can be noted. The laminae end in a point 1?, adapted to contact with adjustable screws k, 10 suitably mounted in insulated bearings or nuts in the upper part of the case, and having contact points is, 10

An electric generator of any suitable sort is indicated at j. One wire 3' connects the too generator with the thermostat while another wire 3' connects the generator with the electro-lnagnetf. Contact screw is connected by means of the wire m, and the screw k by means of the wire m, with a cut-out mechanism mounted in the bracket b, and consisting of a base plate 0' of insulating material, upon which are mounted contact pins m m and spring contacts n, 01. The crankarm 0 carries a finger 'n of non-conducting mate rial, adapted to engage with the spring-contacts n, n alternately and remove them from contact with the pins m m The wire m is inserted in the binding-screw m and is connected with the spring-contact n by a short wire m while the wire mis inserted in binding screw on, and is connected with contact pin m by means of wire m.

j is a wire connecting the magnet coils and the wire j, with spring contact 11 and 0011- tact pin 'm by means of wire j, and wires 7' and 9' respectively.

The operation of the device is as follows: While the dampers are in the position as shown in the drawings, t'. 6. before they have changed their relative positions, the contact point "i has touched the screw 70 establishing a circuit through wires m and m spring contact 11, contact pin m wires j j j electro-magnet f, wire 7' battery j, and laminae t", '17, and thermostat case It. As soon as the current traverses the magnet-coil, the armature f is jerked up thereby releasing the crank arm 0 which instantly commences its revolution, carrying with it finger 'n which enters between spring-contact n and contact point m thereby breaking the circuit and allowing the armature f to drop in time to check the movement of the crank -arm 0 when it has made exactly a half revolution. As the crank-arm revolves the pin or arm 0 engaging with the wall of theslot 0, lifts the lever d, thereby closing one damper and opening the other. When the temperature of the apartment or of the water in the column 9 decreases sufliciently, the contact point t in the thermostat swings into contact with screw 70 again completing a circuit and causing the armature to be again lifted and the arm a to revolve, whereby the dampers are returned to their original position.

I am aware of the fact that use has been heretofore made or proposed of an automatic damper regulator having a motor, an electromagnet controlling a stop so that the motor may be momentarily released, a thermostat suitably connected with said magnet, and an electric cut-out interposed in the electric circuit between the thermostat and the magnet, and I do not claim such broadly as of my invention.

I have found by experience, that the best results are obtained by having the fewest number of working parts, and also having the circuits for the electric currents independent of, and insulated from the operative parts of the mechanism. It has been also found by those acquainted with such matters that practically no wastage of the battery occurs when the circuit is promptly broken as soon as the armature controlling the stop mechanism for the motor has been moved to allow the motor to begin its action.

In my damper regulator, the circuits for the electric currents, and the cut-out mechanism are insulated from the working parts, the said cut-out mechanism being mounted on an insulating base plate. The non-conducting finger carried by the crank arm, breaks the circuit immediately after the current has passed through the magnet coils, and remains interposed between the spring contact and the pin, to insure that the circuit shall remain broken, and to guard against the re-actuating of the armature, in case the laminae of the thermostat do not respond quickly to the change in the temperature which follows the shifting of the dampers. Serious results would follow if the circuit were again established. In fact such continued makingand breaking of the current would render the apparatus useless for the purpose for which it is intended. However, as said, in my apparatus it is impossible for another current to traverse the same circuit again, until after it has traversed the other circuit by reason of the contact on the laminae touching the other contact screw in the thermostat. By having all parts of the two circuits insulated I guard against short circuiting the current, thereby rendering the regulator inoperative, and also prevent any leakage that might occur.

What I claim is 1. In a damper regulator, the combination with the base plate, the damper shifting mechanism, the actuating motor, the electromagnet, the armature therefor carrying a mechanism for controlling the action of the motor, and a thermostat electrically connected with the magnet, of a cut-out device interposed in the electric circuit between the thermostat and the magnet, and comprising a stationary insulatingbase-plate,contact-pins,andspringcontacts mounted thereon, and an insulating finger carried by one of the moving parts of the damper shifting mechanism, substantially as set forth.

2. In a damper regulator, the combination with the base plate, the motor mounted thereon, the crank arm and shifting lever actuated thereby, the armature carrying stop devices for controlling the action of the motor and the thermostat electrically connected with the electro-magnet, of a cut-out device consisting of a stationary insulating plate, two independent contact pins thereon,.nonrotating spring contacts normally in contact with said pins, and a non-conducting device carried by the crank arm and alternately interposed between each pin and spring contact, substantially as set forth.

3. In a damper regulator the combination said slot and engaging said ends to prevent of the motor, the crank arm extending on their recoil, substantially as set forth. 1o each side of its axis and actuating the shift- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in ing lever, a thermostat, an electro-magnet presence of two witnesses.

electrically connected therewith, a spring sup- HOSEA FRANK MAXIM. ported armature for said magnet, having a Witnesses:

slot adapted to receive the ends of the crank M. N. JENKINS,

arm alternately and a spring partly filling E. E. FUQUA. 

